Intro to permaculture

Everyone has heard the term “Permaculture.” But what is it? The short answer is that it is the utilization of local resources to benefit the local community. Semantics aside, it’s the philosophy of making do with what you have on hand. When there is a surplus, it is redistributed for the greatest benefit to the land and people. Everything has connections that can be utilized. For me permaculture is the process of finding better ways to live. Ingenuity is the corner stone.  

With the resurgence of sustainable living, there seems, to me, to be too much information out there. There are certificate courses available if you are so inclined, but personally I have a more casual outlook on permaculture itself. How do we start the transition to sustainable living? What are some of the things I, as an individual, can do with limited resources? Let’s jump into a few ideas that will reduce negative input and/or create positive output, preferably, both. Once you embark on the road to sustainability, your life will become your project. More than that though, “You” become the project. After all, you are the most important member of the system you live in. You can have a good impact, simply by moving away from conventional ideas. 

Resource management 

The first things that can be done around the house are simple. Use less of everything, reuse anything you can and some things may be eliminated entirely. I am not preaching austerity or some hardline ways to do things. I am sharing something I believe to be… simply a better way to live. Everything should be used to benefit the whole system. It is hard to talk about one thing in permaculture without all the rest. That is the main idea, everything is connected. As our environments get healthier, we do too. More than that though, it is an amazing feeling to see little changes starting chains of events for a positive effect. As we start living within the system, this becomes obvious. As the designers of these systems, everything starts at home, working its way out of the system.  

First things first. Use less energy. As we learn to reduce our consumption, it becomes easier to generate the energy on site, and more affordable. Reducing the size of the home, reduces the energy needed to power it. Using reclaimed material, lessens the impact of construction. With modern technology, efficiency not only becomes easier, it just makes sense. 

More and more people are downsizing. They are realizing they aren’t finding contentment in the standard model. There will always be the Jones’ striving toward unattainable goals. Then there is Us. The people who believe life should be simpler. Cookie-cutter McMansions are just too cumbersome. Old homes, while they have more character and are generally better built, eventually need to be rebuilt, remodeled and updated, are less insulated and more drafty Plus, you still have all the normal problems that come with owning a home. Living in a small space requires less of everything. Think about it. Less paint, less roof, less energy, less furniture, the list goes on and on. When you save money on these things, you can reallocate those resources to projects that make your life more meaningful.  

Finding ways to reuse material may seem a bit hokie, but they add instant history to new construction. While you may not want to use old windows in your home, especially if you live in an extreme environment, they can be used for mudrooms and porches, greenhouses and cold boxes and as wind walls, where we don’t want to obstruct the view. My favorite things to reuse are fixtures and cabinetry. Old wood can be used for shelving, planters, benches and more. I was at someone’s house and they had this shelf thing they had made while they were camping. The entire thing was built with stuff from an old collapsed shed. It was ugly, but we talked and laughed about it, spawning stories about ugly furniture for hours.  

I have lived off the grid, down a trail and up a mountain. Everything that was needed had to be hauled in. Gas for the generators and propane for cooking were essential. Since I wanted to conserve these resources, I reused them. Not literally, but none the less, I used every bit I could. I charged batteries any time the generator was on. I baked for days instead of meals. I did anything that needed power every time it was on. It makes sense to only pre-heat the oven once and make sure it is as full as possible. Shorter showers or better yet, don’t shower alone. Wood stoves can be used outside the home and still heat the house and water. Sunrooms use the sun to collect heat. Trees provide shade and material for composting, not to mention food for creatures. Grey water can be used to cool a slab and the same lines that heat the house can be used to cool it.